The fifth and final statue in the groundbreaking Monumental Welsh Women project was unveiled on Thursday 25th June at Rhondda Heritage Park Museum, marking the culmination of a five-year campaign to celebrate the lives and achievements of remarkable Welsh women through public sculpture.
The latest monument honours Elizabeth Andrews OBE (1882–1960), one of the most influential Welsh political activists of the early twentieth century. A suffragist, socialist and champion of working-class women, Andrews dedicated her life to improving the lives of women, children and mining families across Wales. Born into a mining family and forced to leave school at an early age, she became the first Labour Party Women’s Organiser for Wales and played a pivotal role in campaigns for public health, childcare, education and pithead baths for miners.
Created by acclaimed sculptor Billie Bond, the statue commemorates Andrews’ tireless campaigning on behalf of mining communities and her commitment to social justice. The monument is fittingly located at the former Lewis Merthyr Colliery, now Rhondda Heritage Park Museum, a site deeply connected to the industrial communities she served.
The unveiling ceremony began outside the museum with a performance by the Markham and District Brass Band, followed by a welcome and introductions led by Helen Molyneux from the Monumental Welsh Women project. Helen also delivered a speech reflecting on the significance of the Monumental Welsh Women project and Elizabeth Andrews’ enduring legacy.
Guests then heard from sculptor Billie Bond, who spoke about the inspiration behind the artwork and the process of bringing Andrews’ story to life.
A particularly moving contribution came from Melinda Hawthorne, Elizabeth Andrews’ great-great-niece, who shared personal reflections on the life of Elizabeth Andrews, her achievements and continuing influence on generations of women. Following her remarks, members of Andrews’ family gathered alongside the statue before the official unveiling.
Hirwaun and Penderyn Community Councillor Eryl O’Neill, who played a key role in bringing the project to fruition, joined a group poetry reading of the specially commissioned poem created for the event.
Further speeches were delivered by Jane Hutt and Heledd Fychan MS, Minister for Culture, who highlighted the importance of ensuring women’s achievements are visible and celebrated within Wales’ public spaces.
The Elizabeth Andrews statue completes the Monumental Welsh Women initiative, which has already honoured Betty Campbell, Elaine Morgan, Cranogwen and Lady Rhondda. The project was founded to address the historic absence of statues commemorating real Welsh women and to ensure future generations can see their stories represented in the national landscape.
The statue depicts Elizabeth Andrews standing on an upturned tin bath — a powerful reference to her successful campaign for pithead baths, which transformed daily life in coalfield communities by removing the backbreaking and often dangerous burden placed on women to wash miners at home. She holds papers in her hand, symbolising her role as an organiser, campaigner and advocate who took the voices of working-class women into political institutions. Andrews’ famous motto, “Educate, Agitate, Organise,” is incorporated into the artwork, reflecting the principles that guided her activism throughout her life. At her feet sits a young child, representing the generations of children whose lives were improved by her work on welfare, health and education, and serving as a reminder of her belief that social progress begins with opportunities for families and communities.
Cllr Scott Emanuel, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council’s Cabinet Member for Communities, Culture and Leisure, said:
It was a privilege to welcome the fifth and final Monumental Welsh Women statue to Rhondda Cynon Taf. Elizabeth Andrews devoted her life to improving opportunities and living conditions for women, children and mining families across our communities, and it is entirely fitting that her achievements are now permanently recognised at Rhondda Heritage Park Museum.
This remarkable project has shone a light on women whose contributions have too often been overlooked, while inspiring future generations to learn more about the people who helped shape modern Wales. Elizabeth Andrews’ legacy of courage, determination and social justice continues to resonate today, and we are proud that the final chapter of the Monumental Welsh Women story has been unveiled here in the Rhondda.
The Elizabeth Andrews statue is now on public display at Rhondda Heritage Park Museum, where visitors can learn more about her extraordinary life and legacy. The museum is open Tuesday to Saturday and offers underground tours and exhibitions exploring the rich industrial, cultural and social history of the South Wales Valleys.
